Light in the Darkness: A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Short Story
by TMNT-Queen
Summary: What exactly happened to Leo in Firion Wolfe's labs? This story tells all. Be prepared for angst, horror, and edge-of-your-seat action. Prequel to "The Girl With Two Faces" and "When the Light Fades." TMNT AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own the turtles._

 **Quick Author's Note:** Here it is, guys! The second short-story (and prequel to "The Girl With Two Faces" and "When Light Fades: A TMNT Short Story"), "Light in the Darkness." This is written in Leo's first person POV; it'll be a two part (or three, depending on how far I want to go in each part) story. Enjoy!

 **Chapter One**

 _"Leo!"_

 _"Hang on, bro! We're coming!"_

 _"I'm sorry..."_

 _BANG!_

The shot echoes through my mind again, snapping me awake. I jerk against the chains holding me to the wall, and the movement sends fiery pain lancing across my hastily stitched side. My breathing comes in short, ragged gasps, and a stray tear slips down my cheek.

 _When are you guys coming for me?_

It's been two weeks since our mission went completely wrong. Two weeks since I was kidnapped. Two weeks since I failed, both as a leader, and as a brother.

Against my will, the memory surfaces, and I'm thrust into the past.

 _ **"Are you sure this is the place?" Raph asks.**_

 _ **"This is where the signal was coming from," Donnie replies. "All we have to do is get in, look around, grab the mutagen, and get out. Easy."**_

 _ **"I don't know, D..." Beside me, Mikey shifts uneasily. "Something doesn't feel right."**_

 _ **"We've done hundreds of these missions before," the purple-clad turtle soothes. "Leo?"**_

 _ **All three of my brothers look at me. Great. I bite my lip. "I'm sure it'll be okay. Donnie knows what he's doing." Donnie smiles, and I try and ignore the look of betrayal on Mikey's face.**_

 _ **As soon as we step into the warehouse, though, I immediately know something is wrong. "DOWN!" I order. Not a moment too soon.**_

 _ **The four of us hit the ground, and the kunai that would've hit Mikey's head lodges in the ground next to him, making him yelp. As if on cue, at least fifty Kraang and Foot 'bots step out of the shadows, weapons drawn.**_

 _ **Raph swears colorfully enough that it would make even a sailor blush. He ducks behind a crate, pulling Mikey with him.**_

 _ **"I told you it was a bad idea!" Mikey screeches. "I TOLD you! But did you listen to me? No! Because you all think I'm just some sort of-"**_

 _ **"Okay! Okay! You were right! Happy now?" It comes out a bit harsher than I meant it to, and my youngest brother looks hurt.**_

 _ **"I would be happier if we weren't fighting for our lives," Donnie mutters from beside me.**_

 _ **I glare at him, unsheathing my katana. "Just go!" Raph hears my order, and with a feral grin, he charges at our enemies, Mikey and Donnie not far behind.**_

 _ **But it's a futile effort. Barely ten minutes later, we're exhausted and surrounded by a sea of robots. I'm almost out of shuriken and kunai, and I know my brothers' supply is almost gone as well.**_

 _ **"Shell," Raph mutters, back-to-back with me.**_

 _ **"Plan?" Donnie asks.**_

 _ **I don't get a chance to answer him, because out of shadows appears another person. But it's someone I've never seen before.**_

 _ **"Hello, turtles." The man's voice is deep and as smooth as his mocha-colored skin. His blindingly white teeth glimmer in the dim lighting, matching his silver-toned hair perfectly. "I've waited a long time to meet you."**_

 _ **"Who the shell-"**_

 _ **The man interrupts Raph almost immediately. "My name is Firion Wolfe. It's a pleasure to meet you, Raphael."**_ _ **I can feel my hotheaded brother stiffen. "Oh, please." Wolfe laughs. "I know who you are. I know who ALL of you are. Leonardo, the eldest, wields twin katana. Raphael, second-oldest and resident hothead; favorite weapons are sai. Donatello, the genius, uses a Bo staff. And last but certainly not least, Michelangelo. The spastic, spacey-as-a-blonde youngest."**_

 _ **"Hey!" Mikey cries indignantly. "You forgot to mention that I'm the cute one."**_

 _ **I can't hold back a groan, and beside me, Donnie facepalms. "What do you want?" I ask sharply.**_

 _ **Wolfe grins. "Oh, I think it's fairly obvious what I want. I want to torture you. I want to rip you out of your shells while you're still alive, and then I want to hang your heads on my wall as trophies."**_

 _ **Mikey lets out a squeak of terror, and I know that Donnie has gone as white as a sheet. "You ain't gonna get that chance, pal," Raph snarls, running at the man.**_

 _ **I see the gun before Raph does, and a desperate shout is all the warning I can give. "RAPH!" I launch myself at Wolfe and knock him to the floor, and then we're locked in a deadly battle as I try and get the pistol.**_ _ **My mind registers the fact that we're close to the window of the warehouse...and the three story drop beyond. Behind me, the others are once again fighting the Kraang and Foot, and having little success.**_

 _ **"Guys!" I yell. "Get out of here!"**_

 _ **"Retreat?" Raph asks incredulously.**_

 _ **"TACTICAL retreat!" Donnie replies.**_

 _ **"Not without you, bro!" Mikey shouts.**_

 _ **"I said get out of-" Wolfe slams the butt of the gun into my cheek, splitting it open and making me cry out. Hot blood trickles from the cut.**_

 _ **"How noble," he mocks. "The files I read on you didn't lie, Leonardo. It would be quite impressive, actually...if it weren't so foolish."**_

 _'Where the shell did he get-' **Before I can finish my thought, Wolfe launches me through the window. Shards of glass fly into my skin, and my mind flashes back to a different night, a different battle. Suddenly I'm staring at the Shredder as he brings his gauntlet down on my plastron.**_

 _ **"LEO!"**_

 _ **The cry of terror from my brothers jolts me back to reality, and I find myself hanging out of the window, holding on by my fingertips. My brothers are being held captive by the remainder of the robots, and their weapons lay several feet away.**_

 _ **"Surrender, Leonardo," Wolfe demands in a syrupy-sweet voice. "That's all I ask. I'll even let your brothers go."**_

 _ **"Don't do it!" Donnie yells.**_

 _ **"One word from me is all it would take," the dark-skinned man says. "One word, and they could either go free or have their necks broken. Your choice."**_

 _Shell. Shell, shell, shell._

 _ **At my silence, Wolfe turns to Mikey. "All right, then. YOU give yourself up for your brothers, and they can go free. He can live. Otherwise..." The man steps on my left hand, grinding his heavy shoe against my fingers. The bones in my hand scream, and I lose my grip as my injured fingers slips off the windowsill.**_

 _ **Mikey's eyes are wide with terror. Knowing him, he hates to see me in pain, and he thinks he couldn't live without me. It would be an easy choice. But I know he's not strong enough to live through whatever Wolfe has planned and come out whole again.**_

 _ **As Wolfe stalks towards my brothers, casually holding out the gun, I climb out of the window, crouching on the floor of the warehouse. I slide my aching fingers into my belt and withdraw the last shuriken I have.** One shot. That's all it'll take. _

**_But the man turns at the last second, and the shuriken flies right past his head. His eyes narrow dangerously, and he chuckles. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that." The darkness in his eyes grows as he raises the gun and points it right at me._**

 ** _"Leo!" Mikey cries._**

 ** _"Hang on, bro! We're coming!"_**

 ** _Even though my brothers fight as hard as they can against the robots that hold them, I know that they won't make it in time._**

 ** _"I'm sorry," I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut as Wolfe pulls the trigger._**

 ** _BANG! The shot takes me directly in my left side, in the gap between my plastron and skin. I go down immediately, the waves of pain rolling over me too much to bear._**

 ** _"NO!" Donnie screams. "Leo!"_**

 ** _Wolfe's smile is feral as he leans over me, planting a kick in my bleeding side. A scream tears from my throat._**

 ** _"It could have been so much simpler," Wolfe croons as my vision recedes. "But no matter. I'll get what I want anyway. I always do."_**

 ** _Mikey's scream of anguish is the last thing I hear._**

TMNT~TMNT~TMNT~

So that's it for chapter one, guys! If you made it through without hating me or the story, _arigato_! *bows gratefully* Chapter two is coming soon, and the ride is about to get a whole lot bumpier. We're not done with the feels yet, folks.

Until next time, COWABUNGA!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

When I come out of the flashback, my breath comes hard and fast, and it's all I can do to calm my heartrate down. Then I hear the sound of a door squeaking open. Firion Wolfe enters my cell, his eyes glinting in the darkness, one silver and one gold.

"Hello, Leonardo," he purrs. "Have you decided to help me yet?"

In a very Raph-like move that I really shouldn't be proud of, I spit at his feet. "Go to shell, you twisted-"

Wolfe slams his fist into my gut, and the reaction is _not_ pretty. I get the _extreme_ pleasure of re-tasting the little food I've eaten all over again. The small satisfaction I have is when the vomit lands on the man's expensive leather shoes. He swears and backhands me across the face.

Still, I can't hide the smirk that appears on my smarting cheeks. _Serves you right._

Wolfe's calm demeanor is gone now, and in its place is the look of a madman. "You _will_ give me what I want," he snarls. "It's only a matter of time."

"I'm not going to help you out, Wolfe. No matter how much you threaten me, I'm not going to fight for you."

He pauses, then begins to laugh. That's what frightens me most. "You really think that I want a freak like you to be my mercenary?" My heart skips a beat as he grips my chin and forces my head up. "No, Leonardo. I don't want you to fight for me. I want your chi."

At that, my heart stops entirely. I can feel the blood drain from my face. "How did you...?" I whisper.

"I told you," Wolfe says, his voice silky once again. "I know all about you four. Shredder told me how you performed _Kuji-kiri_ on his daughter. After that, I did my research."

"Shredder. Of course. So you're just another one of his lap dogs, then." It _does_ make sense. At least that explains how Wolfe would have all those Foot Soldiers at his disposal.

"I am _not_ a lapdog!" the man growls. "I am a loyal benefactor, and Shredder has agreed to pay me handsomely for your body. After I'm done with it, of course."

My stomach twists. If there was any food left, I would have thrown up. As it is, I manage to spit on his shoes again.

Wolfe's eye twitches. "I _will_ have your chi, Leonardo. It would be better for you - and far less painful - to give it to me willingly."

"Never," I vow. To be honest, the only way I know how to give chi is through the Healing Hands, and I'm _definitely_ not doing it on this creep.

"So be it." Wolfe turns on his heel and marches out of the cell, shouting commands. Not a moment later, Foot 'bots enter and release me from my chains. I'm too weak from hunger and pain to do anything except sag into their waiting arms.

They drag me through the hallways of the building, which I recognize as one of the oldest structures in the Lower East Side. But the "tour" ends as soon as they lug me into a room filled with nothing but a wooden table and candles. The robots strap me to the table, and the cuffs dig into my skin.

Then someone steps out of the shadows and my blood freezes in my veins. The guy is at least six feet tall and built like a pro wrestler. But the scariest thing is the fact that he's wearing an ancient Japanese priest's robes...including the ceremonial blood knife.

The man comes closer, but I can't make out his features under the cowl he has on. He draws the knife. "My brethren, we have a sacrificial victim for the offerings. Today, we will be justified. Today, the demon that has plagued our city will die, and his life force will be returned to its proper owner."

Wolfe steps forward, removing his jacket and shirt. His bare chest gleams in the candlelight, and he grins at me. "I told you," he whispers. "You should have done it willingly. It would have been so much easier."

The priest moves towards me, holding out the knife. He slices across both of my wrists, and hot blood immediately flows from the wounds. He digs his fingers into the cuts, drawing symbols around my in my blood. I grit my teeth, determined not to scream in pain.

But in minutes, it doesn't matter. The priest is chanting, and the symbols are starting to glow. Instantly, there's a burning pain in my wrists, which travels down to my injured side. I can feel a pulling within my very core, and I know I'm losing the battle.

 _Guys...hurry...please..._

Wolfe, on the other hand, is grinning like an idiot as my chi is transferred to his body. I see the crazed look in his eyes. "Yes," he crows. "Yes!"

The priest's chanting swells to its maximum volume, and my pain is tripled. I can't help it. A scream tears from my throat, and I arch my back, desperately trying to get away from the agony.

But with every passing minute, I'm growing weaker. One final word, and my spirit is ripped away. The bright, shining ball of blue light flies across the room and descends into Wolfe, who drinks in the power like a thirsty man in the desert.

I can't breathe anymore. Can't move. Can't...

The room fades away into darkness.

I lost.

 **Hey, guys! So, a few things.**

 **1) The bit about the priest and ritual is complete and utter bantha poodoo. I made all that up, but I wanted to find a way to actually have Wolfe extract Leo's chi.**

 **2) It looks like there will be a few more chapters than I planned, haha. Drama, unnecessary complications...such is fanfiction. ;)**

 **3) I'm working on chapter 3, and I know that this one was shorter, but I want to get to the good part.**

 **That's it for this chapter! Get ready for more action and drama! We're not quite done yet. Leo's still got some things to go through...**

 **Until next time, COWABUNGA!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 _"Leo, are you here?"_

My eyes open slowly and I find myself floating, surrounded by darkness. _"Am I...dead?"_

 _"Nah. You ain't dead yet, bro. Came close, though."_

Wait. I know these voices. _"Guys?"_

My brothers appear beside me, bring with them a light that cuts through the blackness.

 _"Hey, Leo,"_ Donnie says quietly.

 _"What...where are we?"_

 _"We're on the astral plain,"_ my brainy brother tells me. _"At least, that's what Sensei said."_

 _"The astral plain?"_ So I'm meditating. _"Why is it so dark?"_

Raph shakes his head. _"I dunno. Normally it's a lot brighter than this, but..."_

 _"Leo,"_ Mikey begins. _"We felt...we felt you die."_

My heart stops. _"You felt me...oh, Mike..."_ I pull him close and he wraps his arms around my shell.

 _"What did that creep do to you?"_

Raph's question has me flushing with shame. I feel dirty, suddenly. _"He...he took my chi,"_ I whisper.

All three of my brothers gasp. _"Leo,"_ Donnie says softly, touching my arm. _"I-"_

I can hear the pity in his voice, and hot tears rush to my eyes. _"It's...it's okay. I'll be fine. I just have to find a way to get back, and-"_

 _"You can't,"_ Raph says. _"You can't get back without your chi. You're stuck here, unless..."_ His eyes light up suddenly. _"Unless we kill him."_

 _"He's dangerous,"_ I reply automatically. _"I don't want you guys going near him."_

 _"And what's the alternative?"_ he retorts. _"Going on without you? Leaving you trapped here?"_

 _"It's better than you getting killed!"_ Mikey flinches away, and I sigh. _"Look...I just...I don't want you guys getting hurt trying to save me. I'm not...I'm not that important."_ A tear slips down my cheek. _"Please, Raph..."_

He takes a deep breath. _"Leo, if you think for one minute that you ain't worth crap to us, you're dead wrong."_ Donnie pales at our brother's choice of words, but Raph keeps going. _"We need you, Fearless. Shell, we're **always** gonna need you. You're our leader._" He puts a hand on my shoulder. _"Our brother. And we ain't leaving you behind."_

Warmth wells up in my heart, and I pull him into a hug. _"Thanks, bro. So what now?"_

 _"Now, we're gonna get going,"_ the hothead says.

 _"Where?"_ Mikey asks.

Raph's face has become a mask of cold rage, and right about now I'd hate to be Firion Wolfe. _"We're gonna go kill the scumbag that took our brother."_

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

"Mr. Wolfe, what would you like us to do with his body?"

Wolfe stares at Leo for a moment. "Hang him on the wall in my study."

"But Lord Shredder said-"

"Lord Shredder won't find out about it, will he?" Wolfe asks, his voice dangerously low.

The messenger gulps. "N-No, Mr. Wolfe." He snaps his fingers and two Foot 'bots move over to the still Leo, picking him up and carrying him out of the room.

Not two minutes later, Wolfe hears a thump and a scream from the hallway. He runs out to see Raph and Mikey standing over the bodies of the three, their weapons drawn. Donnie is trying to resuscitate Leo, and having little success.

"Give our brother back his chi," Raph snarls.

"You want it?" the man asks. "You can _have_ it!" Summoning some of the energy, Wolfe hurls it at the turtles in a bolt of blue lighting.

Mikey yelps and dodges it. "Not cool! How is he doing that? Leo couldn't do that!"

Wolfe laughs. "I did my research, you pathetic freaks. I know things about chi that you haven't even _dreamed_ of. This, for example." He lets out a yell and fires a huge mass of energy at Raph, whose eyes widen.

The energy catches Raph right in the plastron, and he screams in pain before dropping like a rock. "Raph!" Donnie cries, rushing over.

Wolfe watches him check Raph, who is barely conscious. The man is so intent on the older two that he fails to notice Mikey sneaking up behind him.

"This is for my brother!" Mikey yells, locking his nunchucks around Wolfe's throat.

The villain chokes, digging at the chain with his fingers. But the harder he fights, the tighter Mikey pulls. With help from Donnie, Raph stands up and painfully limps over.

"You took Leo away from us. Now we're going to take everything from you." There is no remorse in his expression. Only cold, hard rage.

And that is what scares Wolfe the most. "You...won't live...to see his...power returned to him," he gets out. He grabs the chain around his neck and fires lightning into it.

Mikey lets out a scream of agony, twitching from the pain and the force of his brother's power. Finally, he lets go of the nunchucks and falls to the floor, his eyes rolled up into his head.

 _No!_ Raph's eyes snap with fire. With all the strength the hothead has left, he pulls the sai from his belt and launches himself at Wolfe.

The man dodges the attack, sending Raph to the floor. "Pathetic," he sneers, stepping on the red-banded turtle's plastron and pressing down hard enough to make Raph's ribs crack. Raph cries out as white-hot bolts of pain shoot through his chest. "Did you really think that I could be defeated so easily?"

"That was...never the plan," Raph wheezes, fighting to stay awake. "We were...just the distraction."

Wolfe's eyes widen, just as the blade of a katana appears in the front of his chest. The man gags, choking on his own blood as Master Splinter pulls out the sword.

"That was for my son," Splinter hisses. Wolfe is dead before he hits the floor. Donnie pushes past his sensei, stepping over Wolfe's body and crouching beside Raph, checking over his brother.

His face grows solemn. "Your ribs are definitely broken," the genius announces grimly.

Raph chuckles, then winces as the movement makes fresh pain lance through him. "I could've...told you that."

"Hey, guys?" Mikey begins, sitting up slowly. The dazed look is fading from his eyes as he looks around. "What about Leo?"

"What about me?"

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

I try and look stern as I lean against the wall for support, but I can't hide the smile in my voice. Raph's gaze lands on me and a grin starts growing on his face. "You sly son of a Kraang," he says lowly.

Mikey looks up, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, and Donnie and Sensei are both blinking back tears. My youngest brother runs over, throwing his arms around me.

"Easy, Mike," I caution. "I'm not exactly up to full-" He squeezes me hard, and pain flashes hot against my ribs. "Strength," I finish weakly, gasping a little.

Immediately, Donnie is at my side, helping me sit down. "Let me take a look at that." As he pokes at the gunshot wound, I tell my family what happened when they killed Wolfe.

"I was in the astral plain, waiting for you to come back, and suddenly there was this flash of light. Then this... _energy_ flowed into me. It felt warm and cool all at once. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the ground, and you guys were standing over Wolfe."

"Hmm," is all Master Splinter says. I feel a rush of fear...and shame. Is he disappointed in me?

Before I can ask him, Donnie pipes up. "I'm going to have to remove these stitches and clean this out. There's no telling what kind of infection you could get. It doesn't look like whoever stitched you up cleaned up the wound very well." His keen brown eyes catch sight of the cuts on my wrist, black with dried blood, and he gasps. "Leo...what is this?"

"That's how he took my chi," I admit quietly. "Symbols drawn in my blood."

 _"Shell,"_ Raph mutters.

Donnie shakes his head and pulls me to my feet. "Let's get back to the Lair. I have a lot of work to do, and you guys need to rest up."

"We _all_ need to rest up," I correct him. "You've already done a lot of work, Don. And traveling to the astral plain like that is no easy feat. Trust me on that." Giving me a half smile, but not challenging my decision, the genius heads over to help Raph up. I follow, slipping an arm under my immediate younger brother's. "I've got it, Don."

"You sure?" he asks, raising an eye ridge. "You said yourself that you aren't in the best shape."

"I'm sure. I can still walk."

Raph rolls his eyes, then grunts as he shifts most of his weight onto me. But it's a weight I'm grateful for. I'll happily bear him - and the rest of my family - as long as it means that I'm still here. As long as I'm still alive, still able to care for them and protect them, well...I'll take their load on my shoulders any day.

About ten minutes from the Lair, Mikey's head is drooping. Donnie chuckles and picks him up, carrying him the rest of the way. Our brainy brother settles us all on the medical beds in the lab, but as soon as the genius leaves the lab, I feel a weight settle onto mine. Arms wrap around me from behind, and I glance over my shoulder as Raph nuzzles my shell.

"Raph?" I whisper. "What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Fearless," he replies, the words muffled by my carapace. "We almost lost you earlier, and I ain't lettin' you out of my sight anytime soon. So suck it up and deal."

I have to stifle my laugh, but a small smile appears on my face. "Goodnight, Raphie."

"Night," Raph mumbles, yawning. Soon enough, he's sound asleep. My eyes close again, but not for long as Mikey joins us on the bed, facing me.

"G'night, Leo," he says sleepily.

Pressing a kiss to Mikey's forehead, I tuck the blanket around him. "Goodnight, _ototo_."

When Donnie comes back into the room, his eyes widen. I hold a finger in front of my lips and the genius nods, his face softening. With a small chuckle, he climbs in at the foot of my bed.

I pull my brothers close, a warm feeling settling inside my chest. _Nothing will ever separate us again,_ I vow silently, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

 **The End**

Hey, guys! Thank you all so, so much for reading this story! And to 5mississippis, thank you for reviewing! Those reviews were the things that had me posting the next chapters so early, haha.

I hope that this story answered your questions about what happened to Leo - and why he can't do the Healing Hands so often - in Wolfe's lab. If you enjoyed this short story, please check out my other fanfictions, **"The Girl With Two Faces"** and **"When Light Fades"** (which are the sequels to this one)!

Until next time, COWABUNGA!


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